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Home , A Pleasure to Burn, Dandelion Crater, Guy Montag

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Ray Bradbury

Novel Guide

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Note The text used to prepare this novel guide was published by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group Fahrenheit451_NG 8/19/06 11:53 AM Page C

Fahrenheit 451 Table of Contents

Instructions Overview ...... 1 How to Use This Guide ...... 1 Timeline ...... 2

Before We Start Lesson Plan Details ...... 3 Background ...... 5 Author Biography ...... 5 Book Summary ...... 6 Character List ...... 8 Synopsis ...... 9 Vocabulary Definition List ...... 10 Pre-Reading Questions ...... 13 Novel Road Map to Success ...... 14 Overall Grading Rubric ...... 18

Target on Text Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander Teaching Essentials ...... 21 Activities ...... 23 Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand Teaching Essentials ...... 35 Activities ...... 37 Part Three: Burning Bright Teaching Essentials ...... 51 Activities ...... 53 Reflect on Reading Lesson Plan Details ...... 67 Discussion Questions ...... 69 Activities/Projects ...... 72 Pre-Reading Question Review ...... 77 Final Test ...... 79

Answer Key ...... 83 Fahrenheit451_NG 8/19/06 11:53 AM Page 3

Fahrenheit 451

Before We Start

his section contains preparatory information and activities for both you and your students. You receive T background information on the novel. Students get a character list, synopsis, vocabulary definition list, pre-reading questions, novel road map to success, and overall grading rubric.

LESSON PLAN DETAILS

1. Character List—hand out for student reference 2. Synopsis—hand out and discuss in class (20 minutes) 3. Vocabulary Definition List—hand out for student reference 4. Pre-Reading Questions—hand out and have students complete in class (20 minutes) 5. Novel Road Map to Success—hand out for students to complete as they read 6. Overall Grading Rubric—hand out and discuss (20 minutes)

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Fahrenheit 451

Background... Just for YOU!

Author Biography

Ray Douglas Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1920. Because his mother was crazy about the movies, his parents gave him the middle name “Douglas” after the actor, Douglas Fairbanks.

Bradbury started writing when he was about ten years old using pieces of butcher paper. The family moved to Los Angeles when he was fourteen, and Bradbury met comedian George Burns, who was then a radio star. Burns gave Bradbury his first writing job when Bradbury contributed a joke to the Burns & Allen Show.

Bradbury did not pursue a formal education after he graduated from high school. However, he spent time in the library, and he continued to write. To make a living, he sold newspapers on Los Angeles street corners.

In 1940, Bradbury published his first story, “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma,” in an amateur fan magazine, Imagination! (In 1939, he published four issues of his own fan magazine, Futuria Fantasia, most of which he wrote.) Bradbury’s first paid publication was the short story “Pendulum” in Super Science Stories, 1941. Dozens of other stories in various publications like Weird Tales followed, culminating in his first short story collection, 1947’s Dark Carnival (later redone as The October Country). In that same year on September 27, he married Marguerite (“Maggie”) McClure, whom he had met when she was a clerk in a book store. (Marguerite died on November 24, 2003.) They have four daughters—Susan, born 1949; Ramona, born 1951; Bettina, born 1955; and Alexandra, born 1958—and eight grandchildren.

Bradbury’s reputation as a major science-fiction writer was established when he published The Martian Chronicles in 1950. In 1953, he published his best-known novel, Fahrenheit 451, expanded from his 1950 story, “The Fireman,” written for Galaxy magazine. The novel was also serialized in 1953 in Playboy. (Because he couldn’t afford an office, he composed the book on a rented typewriter in a university basement. He fed dimes into a timer, one every half-hour; the entire enterprise cost him $9.80.)

Bradbury—who counts among his life-long friends the special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen (stop-motion animator of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, and many other movies) and Forrest J. Ackerman, long-time editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine—has also written poems, dramas, and film scripts (most notably the 1956 Moby Dick, directed by John Huston and starring Gregory Peck). Ironically, considering Fahrenheit 451’s opinion about television, his stories have been frequently dramatized on TV on The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Ray

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Bradbury Theatre. The Martian Chronicles became a mini-series in 1980; Something Wicked This Way Comes became a disappointing feature film in 1983; and Fahrenheit 451 was famously, if not exactly faithfully, filmed in 1966 by famous French director François Truffaut (his only English-language picture), starring Julie Christie.

Bradbury has received the World Fantasy Award and Stoker Award for life achievement and the Science Fiction Writers Association Grand Master Award, and he is a Science Fiction Hall of Fame Living Inductee. On November 17, 2004, President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, presented Bradbury a National Medal of the Arts. In addition to his many literary prizes, Bradbury also has a couple of astronomical tributes: There is an asteroid named in his honor, (9766) Bradbury, and an Apollo astronaut named a moon crater “Dandelion Crater” after Bradbury’s novel, Dandelion Wine (which, ironically, is not a science fiction novel).

Bradbury suffered a stroke in 2001. He still lives in Los Angeles and writes daily.

Sources: http://www.spaceagecity.com/bradbury/bio.htm, http://www.raybradburyonline.com/biography.htm

Book Summary

Fahrenheit 451 is set in a futuristic American city at a time when reading books is prohibited in an attempt to make everyone “equal” and prevent uneasiness of mind. Technology that entertains and distracts its citizens from all things worrisome or disturbing fills homes, schools, and even subway trains. The citizens live well. In fact, they live better than those in the rest of the world, and they are despised by others in the world because they have so much excess. Consequently, conflicts have arisen. Two atomic wars have been fought and won since 1990, but these events go relatively unnoticed by the country’s zombie-like citizens.

Ironically, firemen (like the novel’s protagonist, Montag) are not public servants who put out fires, but storm troopers who burn caches of books. They are the censors, the “custodians of…peace of mind.” When Montag begins to question the status quo, when he starts to keep and read some of the books he’s supposed to burn, he soon finds himself at odds with the brave new world of which he is a part.

Background Fahrenheit 451, like most futuristic science fiction novels, comments upon contemporary society. Very often, a writer will take some aspect of current society and extrapolate, imagining what would happen if that trend or behavior were taken to its farthest degree and then show us the (usually negative) consequences.

Bradbury’s book is in the tradition of other science fiction novels such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) and George Orwell’s 1984 (1949). Brave New World depicts a

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Before We Start Handout 1 Name Date Hour Character List

Below is a list of the major characters you need to know.

Guy Montag: He is the thirty-year-old fireman who realizes his life is empty and oppressive. He searches for meaning in books and from others like him.

Mildred Montag: She is Montag’s sickly wife who uses painkillers and TV to avoid facing her own problems. She doesn’t understand Montag’s strange behavior and wishes he would return to his old self.

Clarisse McClellen: She is the innocent seventeen-year-old girl and outcast who teaches Montag to appreciate beauty, question his world, and seek happiness.

Captain Beatty: He is the captain of the fire department who is well-read but hates books. He notices Montag’s change and anticipates his every move.

Professor Faber: He is the retired English professor and self-proclaimed coward who blames himself and others like him for the oppressive state of society. He teaches Montag about the importance of books and helps Montag carry out his plan.

Granger: He is the leader of the book people who has a plan to preserve literature through the Dark Age until they are ready to rebuild.

Mrs. Phelps: She is one of Mildred’s zombie-like friends who seems unconcerned that her husband is fighting in the war.

Mrs. Bowles: She is another one of Mildred’s friends who leads an empty life and does not care that she has lost three husbands and that her children hate her.

Stoneman and Black: They are firemen who perform their duties without question.

Ray Bradbury was born on August 22, 1920, four days after the ratification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution (guaranteeing women’s right to vote).

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Before We Start Handout 2 Name Date Hour Synopsis

This novel guide offers strategies for critical reading and literary analysis. It also offers suggestions for discussing and debating issues surrounding censorship and the importance of being a critical and individual thinker. Finally, it serves to reinforce ethical attitudes, reminding you that citizens of a democratic nation must fight to uphold ideals set forth in the Constitution.

Fahrenheit 451, with Bradbury’s rich use of metaphorical and symbolic language, creates a literary experience that offers immediacy and stimulates discussion. You are likely to be drawn to the hero and his journey from blind participant in a suppressive society to aware individual in a sterile, thoughtless environment to rebel against the status quo and, finally, to welcomed outcast in a forest of free thinkers. Allusions in Fahrenheit 451 illustrate the dangers of censorship, suppression, and thoughtlessness and compel readers to compare knowledge of historical and literary works to the themes in the novel that have universal appeal and real-world connections. As recent and tragic events in the United States and around the world push censorship and free speech to the center of political debate, this 1953 first novel by Ray Bradbury reminds you of the importance of free thinking and the exchange of intelligent and informed ideas to protect the ideals of a democratic nation.

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Before We Start Handout 3 Name Date Hour Vocabulary Definition List

The following list provides definitions for some of the more difficult words in the text. Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander stolid: calm and showing little emotion minstrel man: an entertainer who performs songs, dances, and snappy patter with others, who are similarly made up phoenix: a mythological bird that destroys itself in a fire and is born again from the ashes; a symbol of immortality subconscious: concerning the part of the mind of which one is not fully aware, but which influences one’s actions refracted: deflected a ray of light that entered water, air, or glass at an angle marionette: a puppet worked by strings mausoleum: building used to house a tomb or tombs stratum: a layer of rock melancholy: sadness, depression of the spirits; gloom conjure: to call to the mind (as if by magic) proboscis: an elongated sucking organ of an insect; a nose olfactory: relating to the sense of smell multi-faceted: of an eye: having a number of lens-like visual units ballistics: the study of the flight characteristics of projectiles trajectory: the path of an object moving under the action of given forces shin: to climb quickly up or down by gripping with one’s arms and legs proclivities: habitual tendencies to do something usually discreditable; inclinations or predispositions odious: extremely unpleasant; repulsive condemnation: severe reproof; strong censure heresy: belief or opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted ravenous: extremely hungry stagnant: of water or air: motionless and often having an unpleasant smell

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Before We Start Handout 5 Name Date Hour Novel Road Map to Success

These questions help you stay on track with the plot as well as build your reading comprehension.

Directions: Answer these questions on a separate piece of paper as you read. Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander 1. What is Montag’s occupation? What is unusual about his job? How does he feel about it? 2. What time of year is it? 3. Who is Clarisse McClellan? What effect does she have on Montag? 4. What two symbols on Montag’s uniform seem to hypnotize Clarisse? 5. To what does Montag compare kerosene? 6. How old is Montag? How long has he been a fireman? 7. What is the official slogan of the firemen? 8. According to Clarisse’s uncle, what virtue are the youth of society missing? 9. What does the fireman in Seattle do to the Mechanical Hound? Why? 10. What is wrong with Mildred? 11. Describe Montag’s marriage and relationship with Mildred. 12. How is Montag’s home different from Clarisse’s? Why is he drawn to her home? 13. What effect does the contrasedative have on Mildred? 14. What do you think Montag learns from reading the last page of the script? 15. Describe the Mechanical Hound. Why does it worry Montag? 16. Who is Beatty? 17. What reason does Montag give Clarisse for not having any children? 18. Explain the irony of Clarisse being labeled antisocial. 19. Why does society provide activities for teens to “run [teens] ragged”? 20. What is announced on the radio? 21. What are the shared features of firemen? 22. Why does the woman refuse to leave her books? What effect does this have on the firemen, particularly Montag? 23. Why does Beatty refer to the old woman’s books as the Tower of Babel? 24. Why is it surprising that Beatty knows the Master Ridley quote? 25. Why must fire captains have book knowledge? 14

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Fahrenheit 451

Target on Text

ow it’s time to start reading. Target on Text contains a part-by-part progression of activities to enhance N your students’ understanding and enjoyment of Fahrenheit 451. This guide divides the novel into three sections of roughly the same length. Each section has individual part summaries, target objectives, and a variety of activities to highlight key story and literary elements.

While some of the activities are designed to be done individually, working with peers provides students with the opportunity to practice cooperation and creates richer results as the students build on one another’s ideas.

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Teaching Essentials... Just for YOU! Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander Part One Summary Montag is a fireman whose job it is to burn books and houses. After a satisfying day at work, he sets off routinely for home on the subway. On the way home, he meets Clarisse McClellan, a peculiar teenager who is inquisitive and introspective. Despite Montag’s confidence, Clarisse’s questions and thoughtful silences rattle him into uneasiness. Like looking into a mirror, Montag sees himself (his expressions and thoughts) in Clarisse. Her question, “Are you happy?”, initiates Montag’s individual thinking. When Montag arrives home, his corpse-like wife, Mildred, has overdosed on sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Clarisse’s question eats at Montag, and he realizes that he is not happy.

Montag is now aware of the contrast between Clarisse and Mildred. Clarisse proclaims, despite his objections, that he is not in love. She asks him why he is a fireman and leaves him to consider his disillusions with life, love, and happiness.

At the firehouse it is clear that Montag differs from other firemen. Captain Beatty is their intelligent leader. Montag fears the Mechanical Hound, a new firehouse mascot.

Over the next week, Montag establishes a comfortable routine and continues to meet with Clarisse. Through her descriptions, Montag sees a new picture of society, one he hadn’t considered. Another week passes, and Clarisse disappears. With Clarisse gone, Montag begins thinking. He starts asking dangerous questions that arouse Beatty’s suspicion and prompt fellow firemen Stoneman and Black to consult the rule book about the history of firemen in America. Midway through the history lesson, the alarm sounds.

After a horrifying scene where an old woman chooses to die with her books, the firemen return to the station in silence. Beatty, the only one untouched by the event, reveals that he has knowledge of the content in books.

The events of the fire change Montag. Infected with “dis-ease,” he returns home with a stolen book. In bed, he cries. Montag feels unconnected to Millie, but his connection to Clarisse and the old woman has become real. Showing no concern for Montag’s feelings, Mildred off-handedly tells him that Clarisse is dead. As Montag swallows the news, the Mechanical Hound foreshadows events to come.

By morning, Montag’s “dis-ease” consumes him; he vomits at the smell of kerosene. Mildred’s only concern is that Montag goes to work. Montag is angry; he wants to smash things because he can’t articulate what is really bothering him. Montag reaches for a book and forces Millie to read with him.

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Target Objectives

At the end of this section, students are able to: • examine irony used in the text • identify dynamic characters, character traits, and foils • describe the purpose of flashbacks • describe the setting and its effect on character(s), plot, and theme(s) • analyze internal and external conflicts • determine the point of view and how it influences readers’ perspectives • use synectics to analyze the text

LESSON PLAN DETAILS PART ONE

1. Recognizing Irony—hand out and have students complete in class (15 minutes) 2. Character Analysis: Guy Montag as a Changing Character—hand out and have students complete in class (45 minutes) 3. Literary Element: Flashback—hand out and have students complete in class (20 minutes) 4. Character Analysis: Foil—hand out and have students complete in class (20 minutes) 5. Setting: The Surrounding Social Climate Creates Conflict—hand out and have students complete in class (45 minutes) 6. Plot Analysis: Internal Conflict Defines the Two Sides of Montag—hand out and have students complete in class (35 minutes) 7. Narration: Point of View—hand out and have students complete in class (20 minutes) 8. Guy Montag: Dynamic Character—hand out and have students complete in class (25 minutes) 9. Exploring Abstract Ideas Through Synectics—hand out and have students complete in class (25 minutes)

Discussion Questions: Part One (1 class period)

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Fahrenheit 451

Part One Handout 1 Name

Date Hour Recognizing Irony

Irony is an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. As you review the opening scene with a critical eye, note some contradictions. In this activity, you examine irony and make predictions about the novel.

Directions: Read each phrase in the chart and think about the contradictions. To the right of each phrase, explain how it is opposite from what you expect.

“It was a pleasure to burn.” Example: Burning is an act causing destruction. It is ironic that one would find pleasure in destroying.

“ . . . this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world . . .”

“ . . .the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.”

“ . . . he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire . . .”

“He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house.”

“Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame.”

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Part One Handout 2 Name

Date Hour Character Analysis: Guy Montag as a Changing Character

Writers use characterization to develop how the character looks, acts, and thinks. A dynamic character changes in the course of the novel. Oftentimes, authors create dynamic characters to reveal the effects of society on the character’s development as a human being. In this exercise, you define Montag’s initial stage of character development before he changes.

Directions: In the chart, write out Montag’s responses to Clarisse’s questions. Then, explain what each response reveals about his initial character. Clarisse’s Question Montag’s Response What Is Revealed? “Does [kerosene] seem like Example: “Of course. Why not?” Example: This reveals that [perfume], really?” he has never considered his comparison of the smell of kerosene to perfume as anything but normal. 1. “How long’ve you worked at being a fireman?”

2. “Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”

3. “Why are you laughing?”

4. “Have you ever watched the jet cars racing on the boulevards down that way?”

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Discussion Questions: Part One

Directions: Use the following questions to review what’s happened in Part One. Use these questions to generate discussion about the author’s ideas and techniques.

1. When the novel opens, what time of year is it? What associations can you make with this season? Predict why the novel is set in this season. Example: It is early fall. Fall is associated with change: leaves change colors and weather changes. One might predict that characters and/or life as they know it are about to change.

2. What is rarer than being a pedestrian? Clarisse’s uncle is arrested for being a pedestrian. What is his crime? Example: Talking and sharing thoughts with others is rarer than being a pedestrian. Clarisse’s uncle had been walking alone enjoying nature, participating in life.

3. Explain the contradiction in the following lines: “The room was not empty,” and “the room was indeed empty.” Example: Though Millie is physically in the room, her mind is not. She has escaped reality with sleeping pills and tranquilizers, interactive TV, and destructive, mindless activities.

4. What causes Montag to realize that he is not happy? Why is he unable to hide it any longer? Example: Clarisse introduces the concept of self-reflection to Montag. Until she questions him, he just exists. He does not question how or why he exists. Now life has new meaning, and he wants to figure it out. Life as it was is no longer possible because he is aware.

5. How do teens in Fahrenheit 451 differ from teens in your community? How are they the same? Example: The teenagers in the novel have gone mad. They rebel against societal pressures to conform by acting irresponsibly, participating in destructive activities, and hurting each other. Some teens today share some of the same characteristics as the teens described in the novel. They bully others, watch and play violent video games, and sometimes participate in dangerous activities.

6. “The voice clock mourned out the cold hour of the cold morning of a still colder year.” What effect does the repetition have on the quote passage? Example: The repetition of the word “cold” reminds the reader of images of Montag and Mildred’s bedroom, of their sterile relationship, and of the lack of intimacy and friendship among other characters. The quote comes shortly after Montag realizes that Clarisse, who is always described as warm, is gone. Life for him now is lonely and depressing as he “mourns” for Clarisse and war looms.

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